Pre-terminated optical fiber cable assemblies typically have a fixed transition region between the cordage (i.e., the portion of the cable surrounded by the jacket) and furcated fibers or ribbons, which are subsequently connectorized. A pulling eye/sock can be used to assist in pulling the cable through ductwork and the like. The pulling eye/sock includes a looped eyelet on one end to receive a finger, hook or other grasping device and a “sock” or sleeve that is secured to the jacket of the cable via a “heat shrink” material or a solid epoxy transition component; the sock covers the furcated fibers. This arrangement can protect the fibers and their connectors. At installation, different off-the-shelf components, such as cable ties, can be used to provide strain relief for the mated connectors from disturbance of the cable.
A loose tube optical fiber cable has been developed that has a plurality of loose, non-buffered optical fibers, a strength yarn at least partially surrounding the non-buffered optical fibers, and a jacket surrounding the strength yarn and the non-buffered optical fibers. See U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/688,493, filed Jun. 8, 2005, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety. One of the advantages of this cable is that there is no preferential bend direction. Additionally, a direct multi-fiber connector termination method for the loose tube cable has been developed (see U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/438,647, now patented as U.S. Pat. No. 7,537,393) that allows for end to end termination of the loose tube cable without using a solid epoxy transition component to separate individual fibers and subunits, it would be desirable to provide an arrangement that protects the broken out fiber subunits and connectors of this cable during installation.